In recent years, WDM (wavelength division multiplexing) technique for transmitting by multiplexing a plurality of optical signals of different wavelengths has been put into practical use in the optical transmission technology, and the technique is increasingly advancing.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary transmission network configuration including a plurality of WDM transmission apparatuses A-D. Each plurality of transmission apparatuses A-D is connected by a WDM ring 1 which multiplexes a plurality of optical signal shaving different wavelengths and transmits multiplexed signals.
As the technique advances, processing capacity for controlling and monitoring a multiplicity of optical signals is required in the WDM transmission apparatus (hereafter simply referred to as transmission apparatus) A-D. Also, there has been an increased amount of setup data per transmission apparatus caused by an increased number of optical signals (wavelengths). Also, the number of transmission apparatuses installed in a transmission network is increasing, because the length of WDM ring 1 is increased. With this, there is a tendency of increasing workload for setting control data necessary when initiating the transmission network or adding a new station.
Namely, as setup items of control data, there are a variety of items for network control data, such as low-speed facility types (SONET OC192, OC48, . . . Ethernet 10 Gps, 1 Gps, etc.) before multiplexing, parameters for high-speed facility (WDM) after multiplexing, cross connect, alarm (level, threshold, etc.), login user registration, network, environment monitoring (house keeping) of the station.
These setup items can be classified into (1) an item to which the same data is set throughout the entire transmission apparatuses in many cases; (2) an item to which mostly the same data is set among each transmission apparatus type, such as add/drop multiplexer and repeater; and (3) an item to which data proper to each transmission apparatus, such as the number of wavelengths, is set.
In the conventional network systems, as shown in FIG. 1, it has been necessary to set the entire network control data described in the above (1) to (3) individually to a setup data storage 122 in each transmission apparatus, from a maintenance apparatus 100, etc. under the control of a processor 121. As an amount of the setting work increases, a necessary time to start up the transmission system becomes longer, and a larger workload by a maintenance operator becomes required.
As a prior art for setting a transmission apparatus in a network system, a method for setting proper data in a distributed network has been known (The official gazette of the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. S63-7051) The technique described in this patent document aims at easy setting and modification from a parent station in regard to fixed line connection, etc. A non-volatile memory is provided in a subordinate station, in which proper network data is set and retained under the instruction of a parent station.
Further, as another prior art, there is a known technique for remotely setting and modifying data relay conditions in a CATV router, thereby making it unnecessary to go to each home of individual users for setting and modification of the data (The official gazette of the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-247109).